Socket for vacuum tubes and the like



Oct. 28, 1958 w. H. MCKEE 2,858,517

socxmr FOR VACUUM TUBES AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 12, 1956 .IHZEZTEJ:ZUiZZidmefLe/llcelfee Wag Patented Oct. 28, 1958 SOCKET FOR VACUUM TUBESTHE LIKE William H. McKee, Park Ridge, 111., assignor to CinchManufacturing Corporation, Chicago, [1]., a corporation of HlinoisApplication January 12, 1956, Serial No. 558,757

4 Claims. (Cl. 3397 The present invention relates to improvement inelectrical socket members and particularly to the general form adaptedto receive and make electrical connection with a pronged electronictube.

In conventional socket members heretofore known in the art, the forcesprovided by the socket contacts for gripping the tube terminals havebeen inherent in the spring metal of the contacts which is usuallyhardened to effect a stifi'er action. It has been found with this typeof contact that the resilient prong-engaging portions have a tendency toset after repeated insertions and withdrawals of a vacuum tube with theresult that the contacts lose their effectiveness for making positivetensioned engagement with the tube prongs.

An object of the present invention is to provide a socket member havingcontact members for receiving prong terminals constructed in such a waythat the terminals .are received by the contact members without thenecessity of appyling insertion forces. At the same time theconstruction of the socket device efiects strong withdrawal forces.

Another object of the invention is to effect a socket member in which anexternal force is applied to a prongengaging portion of the contactmembers thereby providing positive electrical engagement between thecontact members and the tube prongs which eliminates reliance upon theinherent spring characteristics of the metal of the contact members.

Other objects and uses of my invention will be apparent from aninspection of the accompanying drawing and annexed specification inwhich I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of myinvention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top view of my improved socket device,

Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the socket device,

Fig. 3 is a side view of the socket device showing the contact actuatingmember in closed position,

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 with the contact actuating member inopen position,

Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line 55 of Fig. 1 with the contactactuating member in closed position, and

Fig. 6 is a section similar to Fig. 5 with the contact actuating membershown in open position.

Referring to the drawings, my socket device comprises an insulating body1 having a top end face 2 and a bottom end face 3. The upper portion 4(Fig. 5) of the body 1 is of greater diameter than the lower portion 5so as to form a peripheral overhang 6. The top end face 2 has a seriesof prong-receiving openings 7 which are arranged in a generally circularconfiguration. The bottom end face 3 has a bore 8 formed therein whichterminates adjacent an abutment 9 (Fig. 5). The wall of the body "1adjacent the bore 8 has a series of elongated openings 1t} positioned incomplementary relation to the openings 7 in the top face 2 andintersecting the same. The openings 10 extend axially of the socket body1 and terminate short of the bottom face 3 to form shoulders 11.

As a means for attaching the socket devices to a supporting panel, ametal saddle member 12 is provided as part of the socket assembly. Thesaddle member 12 has a central opening 13 in which the insulating base 1is disposed. Movement of the body 1 through the opening 13 in onedirection is limited by the overhang 6 of the body 1 which engages theupper surface 14 of the saddle member 12. The saddle member 12 has apair of oppositely disposed wing portions 15 which engage the body 1adjacent the top end face 2 to limit relative movement of the parts inan opposite direction. The saddle member 12 has an opening 16 disposedadjacent the central opening 13 to receive a lockingarm of the contactactuating member in a manner to be described. The saddle 12 has. anopening 17 at each of opposite ends for receiving a rivet member (notshown) for attaching the socket device to a supporting panel.

The body 1 carries a plurality of socket contact members each of whichis disposed within an opening 10 and its complementary aperture 7. Eachof the contact members 18 in my preferred form is formed from a singlepiece of bendable, ribbon-like metal folded intermediate its ends toprovide a pair of legs 19 and 20 having their broad surfacesin adjacentrelation. The leg portions 19 and 20 are joined together by a bight 21(Fig. 3) and are bent slightly at a point spaced from the bight to forma shoulder element 22 (Fig. 6) for engagement behind the bottom end face3 when the parts of the socket device are in assembled relation. The legelement 20 has a laterally-extending portion 23 integrally joined to theend of the leg 20 away from the bight 21-and arranged to bottom on theshoulder portion 11 of the body 1 when the parts of the socket are inassembly. The leg 20 has a straight arm portion 24 integrally joined tothe end of the laterally-extending portion 23 and disposed within theopenings 10 and 7 adjacent the body portion 1. The leg portion 19 has aprong-engaging element 25 which extends upwardly in generally parallelrelation to the arm portion 24. The element 25, in my preferred form,has a bowed portion 26 projecting in the direction of the arm element 24and a second bowed portion 27 which projects into the bore 8 for apurpose to be described. The free end 28 of the element 25 is disposedwithin the aperture 7 of the top end face 2 and is preferably flaredoutwardly away from the arm element 24 to effect a lead for receiving atube prong 29 between the prong-engaging element 25 and the arm portion24. It will be noted that substantially no forces are exerted by theelement 25 and arm 24 during insertion of the tube prong 29 between thesame. As a result, those forces are eliminated which are inherent inconventional spring contacts and which under certain conditions tend tobend the tube prongs during the insertion action.

As a means for exerting external force on the prongengaging portions ofthe contact members for effecting positive electrical engagement with atube prong, I have provided an actuating body 30 which is formed ofinsulating material and shaped and arranged for complementaryreciprocating movement within the bore 8 of the body 1. As a means formoving the actuating body 30 in and out of closed position within thebody 1, I have provided a metal locking member 31 having a generallystraight bar portion 32 which is disposed laterally of and extends abovethe actuating body 30. The lower end 33 of the bar 32 has a foot portion34 (Fig. 2) which is preferably molded into the actuating body 30.

During movement of the body 30 into closed position the portion 35 ofthe foot portion 34 which is disposed externally of the actuating body30 will be'received within an axial slot 36 formed in the end face 3 ofthe body 1 and communicating for its entire length with the bore 8 ofthe body 1. The bar 32 extends through the opening 16 of the saddle 12when the parts are in assembly and provides laterally-extendingshoulders 37 for engagement with the uppersurface 14 of the saddle 12for a purpose to be described. The bar 32 has an integral spring tongue38 in predetermined spaced relation with respectwto theshoulders 37 and.extending outof the plane of the.bar.32. .The tongue 38. has a depressed-portion.39...adjacent itsfree end for fastener engagement withawall.40..of the opening 16 of thesaddle member as willzbe described.

.Relationship of the parts of the socket device when the actuating body.is.in open position is illustrated in Fig. 6. -Thus, the. upper end .41of the actuating body 30 is disposed adjacentthe bottom end.3.of thebody linalignment with the bore 8. The actuating body 30 9 -isvmaintained in thisposition by means of the shoulders 37-,whichengagethenpper surface 14 of the saddle 12 adjacent the opening 16. As a.result of the fact that the diameter; of the actuatingmember 30 is onlyslight- .ly lessthan the diameter. of .the bore18, the upper end 41 ofthe actuating body .30 operates to maintain the contact-members inpositiontwithin the. openings 10 of the .body 1 as shown inFig. 6. Priorto movement of the actuating; body 30 into vclosed position thetubeprongs 29,.are moved through. the openings .7 of the body 1 to.bottomagainst the shoulder-elements 2310f the contact members between theprong-engaging portions 24 and '25 of therespectivecontact. members. Theactuating body.30 ismoved into closed position within the. bore 8 by. apull. force; exerted, on .the bar 32. action, theupperrend ,41 of theactuating body 30. will engage the bowed portion 27 of the element 25 ofthe contact .member to force the element 25 positively against the tubeprong 29. When the actuating body 30 is in full closed position withitsend 41 adjacent the abutment 9 of the body 1,- the spring tongue 38which has been depressedv during the closing movement will expand toengage the. depression 39 with the wall.16 of the saddle 12 therebylocking the actuatingbody, 30 ,in position-to clamp the element 25against the tube prong. As a result .of this clamping action, strongwithdrawal forces prevent unintentional disengagement of the tubeprongs. When it is desired to releasepressure ofthe contact membersuponthe tube prongs to withdraw, the tube, manual pressure is appliedto thebar 32 in a downward direction to release the spring tongue 38 therebypermitting the. actuating body 30 to return to open position.

Although I ha.ve illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of myinvention, 1 do not wish to be limited .the reby as the scope ofmy-invention is best defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. An electrical socket comprising a body of insulating material havingtop and bottom end faces, said body having a plurality ofprong-receiving openings extending into said top end face, said bodyhaving a bore extending into said bottom endv face and terminatingadjacent.an abutment, said body having an inner wall adjacent said bore,said inner wall having a plurality of contact-receiving openingscommunicating with said prong- .receiving openings, contact membersdisposed in said contact-receiving openings, each of said contactmembers having a pair of prong-engaging elements for engaging betweenthem a terminal prong, one of said prongengaging elements having alaterally projectingportion extending intosaid bore, and a secondinsulatorbody assembled-with said first body and arranged forreciprocating movement endwise of said body within said bore, said.secondinsulator being adaptable for movement towardsaid abutment toengage said laterally-projecting portion thereby to'force said firstprong-engaging element; toward the. ;other of said-prong-engagingelements During this to engage under pressure a terminal prong insertedbetween said prong-engaging elements.

2. An electrical socket comprising a body of insulating material, asaddle member assembled with said body having an opening in which saidbody is disposed, said body having top and bottom end faces, said bodyhaving a plurality of prong-receiving openings extending into said topend face, said body having a bore extending into said bottom end faceand terminating adjacent an abutment, said body having an inner walladjacent said bore, said inner Wall having a plurality ofcontact-receiving openings communicating with said prong-receivingopenings, contact members disposed in said contact-receiving openings,each of said contact members having a pair of prongengaging elements forengaging between them a terminal prong, one of said prong-engagingelements having a laterally projecting portion extending into said bore,and a second insulator body assembled with said first body and arrangedfor reciprocating movement endwise of said body within said bore, saidsecond insulator being adaptable for movement toward said abutment toengage said laterally-projecting portion thereby to force saidprongengaging element toward the other of said prong-engaging elementstoengage under pressure a terminal prong inserted between saidprong-engaging elements, said second insulator body having an elementprojecting through said saddle for manually moving said second insulatorinto closed and open positions, and said element and said saddle havingcooperating fastener means for maintaining said second insulatorinclosed position.

3. An electrical socket comprising a body of insulating material, ametal saddle assembled with said body having an opening in which saidbody is disposed, said body having top and bottom end faces and aplurality of prongreceiving .openings extending into said top end face,said body having a bore extending into said bottom end face, andterminating adjacent an abutment, said body having an inner walladjacent said bore, said inner wall hvinga plurality ofcontact-receiving openings communicating with said prong-receivingopenings, contact members disposed in said contact-receiving openings,each of said contact members having a pair of prongengaging elements forengaging between them a terminal prong, one of said prong-engagingelements having a laterally-projecting portion extending into said bore,a second insulator body assembled with said first body and arranged forreciprocating movement endwise of said body within said bore, saidsecond body being adaptable for movement. toward said abutment to engagesaid laterally-projecting portion thereby to force said firstprong-engaging element toward the other of said prongengaging elementsto engage under pressure a terminal prong inserted between saidprong-engaging elements, an actuating element assembled with said secondinsulating body and extending through said saddle member, said actuatingelement and said saddle member having cooperating means holding saidsecond body in open position relative to .said bore prior toreciprocating movement of said second body within said bore to engagesaid laterallyprojecting portion of said prong-engaging element.

4. A device of the type described in claim 3 in which saidactuating-element and said saddle member have cooperating fastener meansfor holding said second body in closed'position with said second body inengagement with said laterally-extending portion of said prong-engagingelement.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

